PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers: celebrating the achievement of our common goals

Abstract

On 19-20 April 2021, PAHO convened all the CCs in the Region of the Americas for a webinar on Engaging Our Partners to Achieve the SDGs Together (3). As a result of this meeting, PAHO received recommendations to improve the working relationship with the CCs, increase the visibility of the CCs’ work, and promote innovative ways of providing technical cooperation, among others. One of the key recommendations was to highlight the work of the CCs in the Pan American Journal of Public Health, which is consistent with the recommendation of the Evaluation of WHO’s Work with Collaborating Centers to “Promote awareness of CCs and their contribution, both within WHO and with external audiences as appropriate.” Within this context, a Call for Abstracts was issued in 2021. Sixty-four abstracts were received; 17 articles went through a peer-review process, and 16 were approved for publication. The articles selected present results that contribute to the development of evidence-based health policies, share lessons learned, provide recommendations, and identify best practices in the Region. The articles published in this special issue illustrate how the CCs respond to public health needs in the Region and globally through PAHO/WHO’s mandates in priority thematic areas.